Timing control



Feb. 7, 1967 c. PROSSER 3,302,467

TIMING CONTROL Filed March 51, 1965 INVENTOR DAVID G. PROSSER BY $4M [7.6M

ATTORNEY United States Patent (3 3,302,467 TIMING CONTROL David G. Presser, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Autotrol Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis, a corporation of Wiscousin Filed Mar. 31, 1965, Ser. No. 444,290 4 Claims. (Cl. 74-35) This invention relates to a timing control, and more particularly to a control for initiating the driving of a control shaft in which an idled gear connectable for driving the control shaft is selectively actuated by an adjustable timing mechanism to engage a gear train powered by a motor that also powers the timing mechanism.

The control of this invention has specific application in a system for the automatic regeneration of a water softener. The necessary periodic circulation of brine through a water softener to recharge the same can be accomplished automatically by means of a cam shaft that is rotated to open and close a series of valves which govern the sequence and duration of the regeneration operations. These operations include backwashing of the water softener, introduction of the brine to the water softener followed by a rinse, refilling of the brine tanks, and finally a purging rinse. The timing control of this invention may be employed to govern the driving of the cam shaft and to this end it is adjustable for selection by the user of the water softener of the day or days of the week and the time of day at which regeneration is initiated. Means are also provided to halt the driving of the cam shaft after the full regeneration cycle has been completed.

It is an object of this invention to provide a timing control for initiating the driving of a control shaft in which a'single prime mover is employed to power a gear train adapted to drive the control shaft and to power a timing mechanism that initiates driving of the control shaft.

It is another object of this invention to provide a timing control that is fully and easily adjustable for selection of the time of day and the day or days of the week at which initiation of the driving of a control shaft will occur.

I It is a further object of this invention to provide such a timing control which will rotate the control shaft through one revolution after initiation and upon the completion of such revolution will automatically cease to drive the control shaft and prevent uncontrolled subsequent initiation of the driving of the control shaft.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a timing control including a gear enga geable with a driving gear train to drive the control shaft and in which such gear has an interruption in its gear teeth to provide a null point for idling the gear, together with means for insuring the proper meshing without damage of such gear with the driving gear train upon initiation.

It is still another object of this invention to provide such a timing control including means for manual initiation of the driving of the control shaft when it is desired to by-pass the timing mechanism.

The foregoing and other objects of this invention will appear in the description which follows. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and in which there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention. The illustrated embodiment will be described in sufiicient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention; however, it will be obvious that changes can be made in the embodiment shown without departing from the scope of the invention and consequently the description should not be taken in a limiting sense.

In the dawings:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the control with portions of the mechanism broken away for purposes of illustration;

FIG. 2 is a left side view of the mechanism of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view in section taken in the plane of the line 33 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of a driven gear and meshing pinion of the control.

Referring now to the drawings, the components of the timing control are shown as being supported upon spaced front and rear plates 10 and 11, respectively. A small electric motor 12 which includes an integral primary speed reduction mechanism is attached to the rear plate 11 and has its output shaft projecting through the rear plate 11 and mounting a pinion 13. The motor pinion 13 meshes with the first of four combined gears and pinions which accomplish speed reduction as part of a timing mechanism.

The first combined timing gear 14 and pinion 15 are supported on a stub shaft 16 for free rotation thereupon and with the gear 14 meshing with the mot-or pinion 13. The pinion 15 meshes with a gear 17 combined with a pinion 18 supported for free rotation on a shaft 19. In turn, the pinion 18 of the second timing gear and pinion meshes with a gear 20 combined with a pinion 21 and also rot-atably supported on the stub shaft 16. Finally, the pinion 21 of the third timing gear and pinion meshes with a gear 22 combined with a pinion 23 and supported for free rotation on the shaft 19. Each of the timing gears 14, 17, 20 and 22 and each of the timing pinions 15, 18, 21 and 23 are identical in the number of teeth and accomplish a four stage reduction of the speed of the motor output shaft.

The pinion 23 of the fourth combined timing gear and pinion meshes with a day gear 24 supported on a quill shaft 25 which is in turn support-ed for free rotation on a stub shaft 26. The speed of the motor pinion 13 and the speed reduction accomplished by the timing gear train connecting the motor pinion 13 to the day gear 24- is such as to cause the day gear 24 to rotate once for every twenty-four hours.

The quill shaft 25 extends through an opening in the front plate 10 and, in addition to the day gear 24, mounts a circular dial 27 and an actuator 28 having a window portion 29 and an arm 30 projecting radially from opposite sides of the actuator 28. The quill shaft 25 is provided with a threaded end and the dial 27 and actuator 28 are held releasab'ly in place upon the quill shaft 25 by a lock washer 31 and a knob 32 that is received on the threaded end of the quill shaft 25 to lock the dial 27 and actuator 28 on the quill shaft 25.

The arm 30 of the actuator 28 is adapted to engage lugs 33 equally spaced about the periphery of a week wheel 34. The lugs 33 are seven in number and are aligned radially on the week wheel 34. The wheel 34 is mounted on a hub 35 that is in turn mounted for free rotation on a stub shaft 36. The wheel 34 projects through an opening in the front plate 10 and is provided with seven spaced slots, each disposed between a pair of lugs 33, and three sided projections 37 which define the slots inwardly of the wheel 34. Pins 38 are disposed in the slots and the projections 37. Through the the open side of the projections 37, the pins 38 work against an O-ring 39 disposed in a peripheral slot in the hub 35 and which holds the pins 38 in selected positions. The pins 38 are shiftable manually from an outer neutral position to a depressed initiation position in which the inner end of each pin 38 extends beyond the limits of its projection 37.

The wheel 34 will be rotated through one-seventh of a full revolution each time the actuator arm 30 sweeps and engages a lug 33 of the wheel 34. Thus, the Wheel 34 will make one revolution for each week. A depressed pin 38, each of which represents a day of the week, will engage a lug 40 on a driven gear 41 as the wheel 34 is rotated by the actuator arm 30.

The driven gear 41 is mounted for rotation with a knob 42 having a re-entrant bore that receives a projecting driven shaft 43. The driven shaft 43 is adapted to be coupled to a control shaft (not shown), the driving of which is governed by the timing control. The knob 42 is slidably keyed to the driven shaft 43 for movement in and out against the urgings of a compression spring 44. A gear train powered by the motor 12 is employed to drive the shaft 43 as well as the timing mechanism heretofore described. Such gear train includes a combined gear 45 and pinion 46 freely rotatably mounted on a shaft 47 and with the gear 45 thereof meshing with the motor pinion 13. The pinion 46 in turn meshes with a gear 48 that is combined with a driving pinion 49 supported for rotation on a shaft 50. The driving pinion 49 is adapted to mesh with and drive the driven gear 41.

While the gear train including the gears 45 and 48 and pinions 46 and 49 will be continuously driven by the motor 12, the driven gear 41 will not be continuously driven by the driving pinion 49. This results from the provision of an interruption in the gear teeth of the driven gear 41 in the form of a cutout portion 51. When the driven gear 41 is so positioned that the cutout portion 51 confronts the driving pinion 49, the driven gear 41 is at rest and the shaft 43 will not be rotated. However, the engagement of a pin 38 with the lug 40 of the driven gear 41 will cause the driven gear 41 to be rotated through a sufficient arc to have the driving pinion 49 mesh with the teeth of the driven gear 41 beyond the cutout portion 51.

To protect the teeth of the driven gear 41 and the driving pinion 49 against damage when the gear 41 is brought into mesh with the pinion 49, a yieldable arm member 52 is provided (see FIG. 4). The arm member 52 is pivotally attached to the gear 41 adjacent one end which is formed with a gear tooth segment 53. The other end of the arm member 52 is connected by a tension spring 54 to a support on the underside of the driven gear 41. The tension spring 54 normally urges the gear tooth segment 53- of the arm member 52 radially outwardly to a position controlled by an abutment 55 formed on the underside of the driven gear 41 and against which the arm member 52 rests. In such position the gear tooth segment 53 forms a continuation of the teeth of the gear 41. However, when the gear 41 is rotated by the wheel 34 and the pinion 49 is out of mesh with the gear 41 the tooth tip to tooth tip engagement of the pinion 49 with the gear tooth segment 53 will cause the gear tooth segment 53 to yield inwardly against the urging of the tension spring 54 and the driving pinion 49 can then continue to rotate until it finds its proper position to mesh with the driven gear 41. Thus, the arm member 52 accepts the thrust load in instances of improper meshing and prevents damage to the driven gear 41 or pinion 49.

The operation of the timing control will be described as functioning in an automatic regeneration system of a water softener and in which the driven shaft is connected to a cam shaft that controls the opening and closing of valves. The timer control is adjusted by the owner of the water softener to set the time of day and the day or days of the week at which regeneration of the water softener is desired to take place. The time of day is set by loosening the knob 32 so that the dial 27 and actuator 28 may be rotated relative to each other and to the day gear 24. The dial 27 carries indicia on its face representing twenty-four hourly increments. The time of day, as shown on the face of the dial 27, at which the setting is made is aligned with an arrow 56 on the front plate 10. Then, while holding the dial 27 in such position, the actuator 28 is rotated until the time of day at which regeneration is desired to be initiated appears in the window portion 29. While the dial 27 and actuator 28 are held in this set position the knob 32 is tightened to hold the dial and actuator in the set position. The further selection of the day or days of the week at which regeneration is desired to occur is necessary and this is accomplished by depressing the pin or pins 38 labeled for the desired day or days of the week.

Assume that it is desired to have regeneration occur at 1:00 am. on Sunday. The actuator 28 would be set for 1:00 am. and the pin 38 labeled Sunday would be depressed, as shown. The timing control would then be energized to have the motor run continuously. The timing mechanism would cause the arm 30 of the actuator 28 to rotate counterclockwise and engage with a lug 33 of the wheel 3-4 once during each twenty-four hour period so that the wheel 34 would be rotated clockwise through one-seventh of its total revolution per day. At 1:00 am. on Sunday the actuator arm 30 would engage a lug 33 of the wheel 34 and cause the depressed pin 38 to engage the lug 40 on the driven gear 41 thereby rotating the driven gear 41 from a rest position in which the cutout portion 51 confronts the driving pinion 49. Since the driving gear train is constantly being driven by the motor 12, as soon as the driven gear 41 meshes with the driving pinion 49, the gear 41 will be caused to rotate counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 1. As previously explained the arm member 52 insures the proper meshing of the gear 41 and pinion 49.

As the driven shaft 43 rotates, the cam shaft to which it is connected will perform the necessary opening and closing of the valves to complete the entire regeneration cycle within one revolution of the driven gear 41. The speed at which the driven gear 41 is rotated is governed by the proper selection of gear ratio in the driving gear train. For a regeneration cycle for a water softener the period of revolution of the gear 41 would be, for example, ninety minutes. When the gear 41 is rotated through one full revolution, the cutout portion 51 will again confront the driving pinion 49 and the gear 41 will then automatically cease to be driven. This insures a proper stoppage of the regeneration cycle upon its completion and prevents the accidental initiation of a second regeneration cycle.

The gear 41 will remain in its rest position until it is again initiated to engage the pinion 49 at the time of the next established regeneration.

If regeneration is desired to be initiated manually at a time other than that established, it can be speedily accomplished by depressing the knob 42 so that the gear 41 is shifted along the shift 43 to a position inwardly of the pinion 49. Then, the knob 42 is turned slightly counterclockwise and released to have the spring 44 cause the gear 41 to mesh with the slowly moving pinion 49 and thereby permit the driving gear train to rotate the shaft 43. This eliminates the need of holding the gear 41 in an initiated position until it can be engaged by the slowly moving pinion 49.

I claim:

1. In a timing control for a control shaft, the combination comprising: a support; a motor mounted on said support and including an output shaft; a day gear mounted for rotation on a shaft carried by said support; timing speed reduction gearing connecting said day gear to said motor output shaft for rotation of said day gear once for each twenty-four hours; a dial mounted for rotation on said shaft and having indicia representing twenty-four hourly increments equally spaced about the perimeter of a face of said dial; an actuator mounted for rotation on said shaft; a week wheel rotata-bly mounted on said support and including seven equally angularly spaced lugs each engageable by said actuator to have said Wheel rotate through one-seventh of a full revolution; means re leasably joining said day gear, dial, and actuator for concurrent movement, said dial and actuator being adjustable relative to said day gear for setting of the time of day at which said actuator rotates said wheel; said wheel further including seven angularly spaced pins each representing a day of the week and each shiftable between a neutral position and an initiation position; a driven shaft connectable to said control shaft and rotatable in said support; a driven gear mounted on said driven shaft and rotatable therewith, said driven gear including a lug engageable by said pins when in said initiation position for shifta'ble rotation of said driven gear; a pinion; and driving reduction gearing connecting said pinion to said motor output shaft, said driven gear being engageable with said pinion when said driven gear is shifted by said wheel to have said motor drive said driven shaft.

2. A timing and driving control for a control shaft, comprising: a support; a driven shaft rotatably mounted in said support and connectable to said control shaft; a driven gear axially slidably mounted on said driven shaft for rotation therewith, a pinion adapted to mesh with said driven gear; a spring means biased against said driven gear, said spring urging said driven gear to a level where said driven gear may be engaged by said pinion; said driven gear including a cutout portion that interrupts the gear teeth of said driven gear and prevents meshing with said pinion; a motor mounted on said support and including an output shaft; driving speed reduction gearing connecting said pinion with said motor output shaft; and timing means driven by said motor output shaft and actuable to selectively rotate said driven gear to shift said cutout portion away from confrontation with said pinion whereby said pinion meshes with said driven gear to drive said driven shaft until said cutout portion again confronts said pinion, and said driven gear being manually slidable along said driven shaft to a level beyond said pinion whereby said driven shaft may be rotated and released to have said spring cause said driven gear to mesh with said pinion.

3. In a timing control for a control shaft, the combination comprising: a support; a motor mounted on said support and including an output shaft; a day gear mounted for sotation on a shaft carried by said support; timing speed reduction gearing connecting said day gear to said motor output shaft for rotation of said day gear once for each twenty-four hours; a dial mounted for rotation on said shaft and having indicia representing twenty-four hourly increments equally spaced about the perimeter of a face of said dial; an actuator mounted for rotation on said shaft; a week wheel rotatably mounted on said support and including means engageable by said actuator to rotate said wheel and projecting initiation means; a driven shaft connectable to said control shaft and rotatable in said support; a driven gear mounted on said driven shaft and rotatable therewith, said driven gear including a lug engageable by said initiation means for shiftable rotation of said driven gear; a pinion; driving reduction gearing connecting said pinion to said motor output shaft, said driven gear being engageable with said pinion when said driven gear is shifted by said wheel to have said motor driven gear being engageable with said pinion when said day gear, dial, and actuator for concurrent movement, said dial and actuator being adjustable relative to said d-ay gear for setting of the time of day at which said actuator rotates said wheel and therefore the time of day at which said wheel shifts said driven gear.

4. A timing and driving control for a control shaft, comprising: a support; a motor mounted on said support and including an output shaft; an actuator rotatably mounted on said support; a timing gear train connecting said motor output shaft and said actuator for rotating said actuator once for each twenty-four hours; a wheel rotatably mounted on said support and including means engageable by said actuator to have said wheel move through one revolution for each seven days, said actuator being settable to engage said means and rotate said wheel at a selectable time of day, and said wheel also including initiation means settable for a day or days of the week; a driven shaft rotatably mounted in said support and connectable to said control shaft; a driven gear mounted on said driven shaft for rotation therewith; a pinion adapated to mesh with said driven gear; driving speed reduction gearing connecting said pinion with said motor output shaft; said driven gear having a cutout portion that interrupts its gear teeth and prevents engagement with said pinion when said cutout portion confronts said pinion, and said driven gear also having means engageable by said initiation means to cause said gear to be rotated by said wheel to shift said cutout portion away from confrontation with said pinion to have said pinion mesh with said driven gear; an arm member having a gear tooth segment formed on one end and being rotatably pinned to said driven gear adjacent said one end; and a tension spring connecting the other end of said arm member to said driven gear to urge said gear tooth segment to a position in said cutout portion in which said segment forms a continuation of the gear teeth of said driven gear, said one end of said arm member being adapted to yield against the urging of said spring to accept thrust loads from said pinion when said driven gear is rotated to engage said pinion.

FOREIGN PATENTS 126,3 59 10/ 1949 Sweden.

MILTON KAUFMAN, Primary Examiner. FRED c. MATTERN, Examiner. D. H. THIEL, Assistant Examiner. 

3. IN A TIMING CONTROL FOR A CONTROL SHAFT, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING; A SUPPORT; A MOTOR MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT AND INCLUDING AN OUTPUT SHAFT; A DAY GEAR MOUNTED FOR SOTATION ON A SHAFT CARRIED BY SAID SUPPORT; TIMING SPPED REDUCTION GEARING CONNECTING SAID DAY GEAR TO SAID MOTOR OUTPUT SHAFT FOR ROTATION OF SAID DAY GEAR ONCE FOR EACH TWENTY-FOUR HOURS; A DIAL MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ON SAID SHAFT AND HAVING INDICIA REPRESENTING TWENTY-FOUR HOURLY INCREMENTS EQUALLY SPACED ABOUT THE PERIMETER OF A FACE OF SAID DIAL; AN ACTUATOR MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ON SAID SHAFT; A WEEK WHEEL ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT AND INCLUDING MEANS ENGAGEABLE BY SAID ACTUATOR TO ROTATE SAID WHEEL AND PROJECTING INITIATION MEANS; A DRIVEN SHAFT CONNECTABLE TO SAID CONTROL SHAFT AND ROTATABLE IN SAID SUPPORT; A DRIVEN GEAR MOUNTED ON SAID DRIVEN SHAFT 